Tottenham seal deal to sign Richarlison from Everton for initial £50m

Everton's Richarlison tosses a flare asa he he celebrates after scoring his sides first goal during the Premier League soccer match between Everton and Chelsea at Goodison Park in Liverpool, England, Sunday, May 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Tottenham have concluded a deal to sign Richarlison from Everton for £50m plus up to £10m in add-ons and will announce the signing provided the forward passes a medical in Brazil.

Agreement was reached regarding personal terms on Wednesday and the clubs have settled outstanding issues relating to the deal’s structure, clearing Richarlison to make the move he wanted to a Champions League club.

Tottenham had offered players including Harry Winks and Steven Bergwijn in part-exchange but Everton wanted a cash-only transfer. The first part of the paperworks have been signed and Richarlison is poised to leave Everton four years after he was bought from Watford. Chelsea made a late attempt to buy the 25-year-old, proposing a player-plus-money deal, before Spurs closed negotiations.

The Brazil international has scored 53 goals in 152 games for Everton and should soon be joined at Spurs by the Barcelona defender Clément Lenglet. The clubs are in advanced talks over a season’s loan for the France centre-half, with a meeting scheduled for Thursday to discuss issues including his salary. Lenglet, who started seven La Liga games last season, is keen on the transfer.

Tottenham have made three signings this summer, bringing in Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic and the back-up goalkeeper Fraser Forster.

Meanwhile, the consortium in discussions to buy Everton have deep enough resources to complete the purchase without the need for a leveraged buy-out but will not be engaging in the kind of wasteful spending seen under current owner Farhad Moshiri.

A group spearheaded by former Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon and bankrolled by US real estate tycoon Maciek Kaminski and billionaire mining and investment magnate John Thornton are engaged in exclusive negotiations to purchase the Toffees.

The PA news agency understands they hope to have the takeover completed by the time the club play a pre-season friendly against Minnesota United in Kaminski's home city of Minneapolis on July 21.

However, unlike Moshiri who has spent more than half a billion pounds on players in six years, the prospective new owners will not be "throwing money around like confetti", according to a source.

While the buy-out will be 100% equity the reported £500m purchase price - which does not include the cost of finishing the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock for a similar figure - will acquire the club's current debt but "wouldn't touch the sides" of the combined wealth of the interested parties.

Elsewhere, West Ham are stepping up efforts to sign Jesse Lingard after their move for Villarreal’s Arnaut Danjuma ran into difficulties.

The club have held talks with Villarreal about Danjuma, with €40m plus add-ons potentially enough to land the Dutch winger, but the deal is now in doubt. West Ham have not agreed personal terms with the 25-year-old and various complications mean they are ready to move on to other attacking targets.

That could draw a frustrated reaction from Villarreal, who could use the funds from selling Danjuma to pursue the Almería forward Umar Sadiq. But David Moyes, West Ham’s manager, is increasingly minded to look elsewhere and is keen to bring Lingard back to the London Stadium.

Lingard, who has left Manchester United on a free transfer, impressed on loan at West Ham two seasons ago. Moyes is pushing to sign him but other clubs are interested in the attacking midfielder and West Ham could need the 29-year-old to lower his wage demands.

Moyes wants to improve his attacking options and is keen to bring in a striker. He has looked at Chelsea’s Armando Broja, but West Ham are yet to make an offer for the 20-year-old. Broja, who has interest from elsewhere, could be given a chance to impress Thomas Tuchel in pre-season before Chelsea decide on his future.

West Ham have strengthened their defence by signing Nayef Aguerd from Rennes and have bought the French goalkeeper Alphonse Areola from Paris Saint-Germain. They also want a left-back and at least one central midfielder.

Nottingham Forest are in talks with Manchester City over a deal for the right-back Issa Kaboré but are yet to reach an agreement over a fee.

Forest have targeted a full-back after it became clear Djed Spence would not be rejoining after last season’s successful loan. Another option is Liverpool’s Neco Williams but they had a bid rejected for the Wales international this week.

Kaboré impressed during a loan at Troyes last season and has attracted interest from several Premier League clubs and from Nice, who are engaged in talks over potentially trying to bring the Burkina Faso international back to France. The 21-year-old has 27 caps and represented his country at the Africa Cup of Nations, where he won the best young player award at this year’s tournament.

Forest have signed Taiwo Awoniyi for a club record £17m and will follow that by taking Dean Henderson on loan from Manchester United. The club remain in talks over the Mainz defender Moussa Niakhaté and are hopeful of a deal soon.

Guardian/PA